SHAFAQNA Â -Â The United States has joined the European Union and France in urging ally Saudi Arabia to rescind a sentence of 1,000 lashes for a renowned human rights activist and blogger.

The State Department said it was â€œdeeply concernedâ€ by the Saudi supreme courtâ€™s decision Sunday confirming a sentence of 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes against Raif Badawi for allegedly insulting Islam.

In January, Badawi received the first 50 of the 1,000 lashes he was sentenced to in November 2014.

Subsequent rounds of punishment were postponed on medical grounds. The latest court decision upheld the original sentence.

â€œAs we had previously said back in January, the United States government continues to call on Saudi authorities to cancel this brutal punishment and to review Badawiâ€™s case and sentence,â€ said Jeff Rathke, a State Department spokesperson.

â€œWe strongly oppose laws, including apostasy laws, that restrict the exercise of freedom of expression.â€